Boulder’s Retirement Home for Active and Obsolete Technology : A Look Inside the Media Archaeology Lab

There’s something calming about the hum of a computer starting up. With the single press of a button, an electronic beast becomes conscious right in front of your eyes. This technological tune wafts through the University of Colorado Boulder’s Media Archaeology Lab – a digital playground dedicated to preserving technology of years past.

The Media Archaeology Lab, also known as MAL, ingeniously combines history, preservation, recycling and artistic endeavor for the university and the Boulder community. Not only does its existence encourage experimentation and art, it also provides a permanent home for technology that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill.

Numerous environmental organizations have found that electronic waste, or e-waste, makes up 70 percent of overall toxic waste. With tech companies continuing to innovate and manufacture at a dizzying rate, consumers are quickly disposing of their old tech in order to keep up with the trends…